Getting the Heat Right for Your Sidel Matrix
Look, matching the heat curve of an OEM lamp isn’t about just guessing the wattage. If you’re running Sidel Matrix systems, you already know that the temperature gradient across the preform is everything. It’s the difference between a bottle with a perfect wall thickness and one that’s structurally a mess. That’s why we build our replacement lamps to mirror the original specs exactly. When you swap a bulb, your heating profile shouldn’t budge. The nitty-gritty on the heat Here is the thing: if your wattage is off by even 5%, you’re asking for trouble. You’ll end up with zones that are either too hot or not hot enough. We make sure our filaments match the OEM’s spectral output. Why? Because it ensures the IR radiation hits the PET plastic at the same depth and speed. You get the same heat flux, which means you don’t have to spend your afternoon messing around with the oven settings. Fit and finish We use high-purity quartz glass because these things take a beating from rapid thermal cycling. And the connectors? They’re machined to fit Sidel sockets tight. No wiggle room. A loose fit causes electrical resistance, which leads to arcing and kills your sockets way too early. It’s a simple drop-in. You pull the old one out, wire the new one in, and you’re back in business. No hacking away at the lamp holders. A quick heads-up on cooling High-wattage shortwave lamps are great for fast cycle times, but they put a ton of pressure on your oven’s ventilation. If your cooling fans are clogged or on their last legs, even the best lamp in the world will overheat your preform. Keep that airflow clear. It’s the only way to actually get the performance we’ve engineered into the glass.